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Loyal fans know
Estelle as a vibrant female rapper who started her musical ventures in 2004 with
The 18th Day and went on to release her second album, the gold-certified
Shine, in 2008. Both albums received a great response, making the British singer/occasional rapper a force to be reckoned with.
Having already made her mark on her home turf of the UK, it was time to take her name and achievements to the U.S. Showing no fear whilst being so far away from home, the singer has made a mark in the States since meeting
John Legend and signing to Atlantic/Homeschool Records.
After making her first chart appearance with the
Kanye West-assisted single "American Boy," the success that was to follow was set in stone. Now with a U.S. tour, several accolades and TV appearances all complete, her third studio album,
All Of Me, is out in the open.
Returning to the frontline and ready to offer up some of her signature sound, Alicia Keys puts out her RCA Records debut Girl On Fire. Her fifth studio album overall, it’s the first time she’s released any new material since 2009’s Element of Freedom. With her marriage to producer Swizz Beatz and the birth of their first son, Egypt, part reason for the delay, there’s also been a shift in record labels, some sneaker designing, and a bit of charity work thrown in to the mix for good measure. Refocusing her energies on the music, her most recent ongoing promotional campaign has seen her very much stroll back in to the limelight, and to a good reception.
Whilst the Maybach Music Group ran roughshot over the three months of inconsistent summer weather, the enigmatic powerhouse collective known as G.O.O.D Music was quietly creating a buzz akin to a tropical hurricane. News of the imprint’s joint album Cruel Summer began to surface as the group’s leader, Kanye West, spent this past summer adding lyrical muscle to affiliates Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz’ cuts [in addition to fleeing from the paparazzi with ‘new’ beau Kim Kardashian]. As we enter the Autumn months, can his collective create an ‘Indian Summer’ of substantial heat? 
Two years ago Welsh singer-songwriter Jay James Picton was a fitness instructor in the Royal Navy who bought a guitar as a joke. Through a devastating injury, Picton started learning the guitar and from there onwards his beer driven joke turned into a passion, leading him to work with music greats such as Booker T. Jones, John Legend and Malay; who have add their touches to Jay James Picton's debut album, Play It By Heart. 
For all the youthful lyricists who have contributed to 2011 being a memorable year for Hip Hop, it has also been down to the chief rhymers whose brief appearances in the spotlight have surrounded immense projects. Whether it was Talib Kweli's gem from earlier this year or the empirical release from The Roots this month, the old dogs still have it in them to run rap regardless of their limited appearances in the media. For Chi-City's Common, every release is celebrated as a victory for the genre.
Reporters, bloggers, DJs and label folk trickled into West London's Cuckoo Club earlier tonight for an exclusive preview of a selection of cuts from Lupe Fiasco's latest album, Lasers.
For about an hour attendees perched, slouched and milled about collecting free cocktails in the darkly-lit purple walled venue listening to eight tracks from the Chicago emcee's anticipated project, set for release on March 7th through Atlantic Records - over three years on from his sophomore Gold-certified LP, The Cool. 
In the sea of name-checking and auto-tuning Hip Hop and R&B acts that have graced our shores from the US recently, it’s easy to forget what the artists’ voices actually sound like. Then along comes 
For the past two decades, the hip-hop ensemble known as